Gender Roles and Agency

Where it surfaces

• V

  Kristin has little say in her betrothal, yet she begins to accept it; her interactions with Arne hint at limited personal agency.

• VI

  Kristin's limited agency is shown in her inability to refuse her betrothal and her vulnerability to assault.

• Chapter VII

  Kristin's lack of control over her fate is highlighted; she is sent to a convent by male relatives.

• Part II: The Garland

  Kristin's limited agency is evident as her family arranges her betrothal and convent stay, yet she begins to assert her own will through her secret meetings with Erlend.

• I

  Kristin is sent to the convent to learn to obey and serve before she is called to rule and command as a wife and mother, reflecting the prescribed roles for women in medieval society.

• II

  Kristin defies expectations by taking charge in a dangerous situation, bargaining with men and physically defending herself.

• IV

  Kristin's limited agency is evident as she navigates her secret relationship, while Erlend's control over their meetings and future plans reflects gendered power dynamics.

• V

  Kristin's secret pregnancy and her fantasies of fleeing as a poor woman reflect the limited agency of women in medieval society, where honor and family reputation constrained their choices.

• VI

  Kristin feels she has grown from maid to woman by taking responsibility for her own life and Erlend's, yet she is still constrained by the actions and secrets of men.

• Chapter VIII

  Kristin takes initiative to send for Erlend and confronts Simon, yet her honor is still seen as something men must guard.

• III

  Kristin takes an active role in planning the escape, challenging passive female stereotypes, while Lady Aashild navigates her limited power as a woman to aid the lovers.

• Chapter VII

  Kristin feels powerless against Erlend's will—he insists on a grand wedding and took her 'half by force'—highlighting her limited agency as a woman bound by betrothal and pregnancy.